Monday - November 19, 2018, 5:00 pm

Posted by Press Release on June 6, 2018 at 8:59 pm under College | Comments are off for this article

MOBILE, Ala. – Kara Shutt(Southeast Guilford High School) of the Elon University softball team added another historic achievement to her resume as she became the first player in program history to be drafted into a professional league with her selection in the American Softball Association’s (ASBA) inaugural draft on Wednesday, June 6.

Shutt was drafted by the league’s moh-BEEL! USA with the 48th selection in the 12th round. Beginning June 15, the ASBA will play an intensive six-week schedule in its inaugural season with one to two games daily at Satsuma High School’s softball field near Mobile, Ala., with the season wrapping up on July 31.

“I’m so excited to have the opportunity to continue my softball career as a professional,” said Shutt. “It has always been a dream of mine to play professionally and I cannot wait to see what this summer has in store! I want to thank my teammates, coaches and family for always supporting me!”

Shutt becomes the first player in program history to be drafted into a professional league. She is also the first Elon female student-athlete to be drafted into an American professional league.

“It’s an honor and very humbling to be selected as the first Elon female student-athlete drafted into a professional league,” Shutt added. “This wouldn’t have been possible without the help of my coaches and teammates pushing me to my full potential. I am looking forward to this opportunity.”

During her four seasons with the Phoenix, Shutt cemented herself as one of the standout players in program history. The Greensboro, N.C., native started all 209 games of her career and batted .373 with a .544 slugging percentage and a .432 on-base percentage. She also posted a .974 fielding percentage while patrolling centerfield during her tenure.

“It’s great to see one of our Elon Softball players being drafted,” said Phoenix head coach Kathy Bocock. “It shows how far our program has come over the years. Really excited for Kara getting this deserving opportunity as she has worked hard over her four-year career here at Elon. I am looking forward to watching her over the summer.”

A three-time All-CAA first team selection as well as a two-time NFCA First Team Mid-Atlantic All-Region choice, Shutt concluded her senior season in 2018 by leading the maroon and gold in batting average (.425), slugging percentage (.580), runs scored (42), hits (74) and total bases (101) while also tying the team-lead in triples (three). She also tied her own single-season school-record with 21 doubles and went on to become the program’s and the CAA’s all-time career leader with 63. Defensively, she posted a .979 fielding percentage with 88 putouts and only two errors on the year.

Shutt’s banner senior season resulted in her being named a NFCA Third Team All-American last week. She became the second player in school history to receive All-American laurels and closed out her Elon career with her name at or near the top of several categories. She ranks second in career hits (253), third in runs scored (142) and fourth in RBI (114). She also finished in the top-five in school history in career triples with 13. Shutt also finished fourth in the CAA in career hits and triples.